Pope Leo XIV lays out his vision of the papacy and identifies AI as a main challenge for humanity

Pope Leo XIV has laid out the vision of his papacy, identifying artificial intelligence as one of the most critical matters facing humanity.

In his first formal audience Saturday, Leo made clear he will follow in the modernizing reforms of his predecessor, Pope Francis, to make the Catholic Church inclusive, attentive to the faithful and a church that looks out for the “least and rejected.”

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Citing Francis repeatedly, he told the cardinals who elected him that he was fully committed to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the 1960s meetings that modernized the church.

He said artificial intelligence poses challenges to defending human dignity, justice and labor.